Mukherjee inaugurates first World Sustainable Development Summit

New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday inaugurated the first edition of World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) here being organised by TERI with emphasis on the need to limit the rise of climate change.

“We need to follow a twin-tracked approach of limiting the rise of climate change while ensuring the existence of sufficient resources to meet our future developmental requirements. This objective mandates the efficient use of earth’s natural resource,” Mukherjee said at the event.

He also underlined India’s position with respect to its climate change responsibilities.

“India is home to almost 18 per cent of the world’s population. However, we possess only four per cent of the world’s renewable water resources. Our energy consumption constitutes six per cent of the global energy consumption,” he said.

“Large-scale utilisation of resources leads to their depletion and also impacts adversely on the environment. This results in reduced availability of resources for future growth putting a question mark on the sustainable development of an economy,” he added.

Themed “Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress”, WSDS has replaced what was earlier called Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), which was also organised by The Energy and Research Institute (TERI). The first DSDS was organised in 2005.

Mukherjee also awarded Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling with Sustainable Development Leadership Award at the event.

He also advised the public to use energy resources discerningly and quoted Mahatma Gandhi as he did so.

“Our society must learn to exercise restraint in consumption while continuing to use resources in moderation. In this regard, I am reminded of these words of Mahatma Gandhi who once observed and I quote: The earth provides enough for everyone’s needs but not for everyman’s greed,” he said.